Article

Feature Article
Apr 15, 2026 // 13 min read
Implant Overdentures in the Digital Era
Felicitas Hölken
Pedro Molinero-Mourelle
Samir Abou-Ayash
DOI: 10.63580/ITI.FI.45773
implant overdentures digital technologies CAD/CAM removable prosthodontics
Abstract

Background: Advances in digital technology have transformed contemporary implant prosthodontics, offering new approaches to the design and fabrication of implant overdentures (IODs). Computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM), additive manufacturing, and computer-assisted implant surgery have improved clinical accuracy, efficiency, and patient satisfaction. Understanding current digital workflows, manufacturing methods, and clinical implications as well as their limitations is essential to optimize treatment outcomes in IODs.

Objectives: To provide a concise but comprehensive overview of the state of the art of digital implant overdentures focusing on the workflow, manufacturing, clinical outcomes, and associated complications.

Conclusion: Digital technologies have improved precision and efficiency in removable implant prosthodontics. While CAD/CAM and additive manufacturing enhance fit and workflow, fully digital protocols still remain a challenge, especially in complex cases. Hybrid approaches combining conventional and digital methods currently provide the most predictable results, with future advances expected to expand clinical applicability.


Introduction

Life expectancy has increased steadily throughout the world and is especially high in industrialized countries. Although preventive and educational strategies have contributed to a global reduction in tooth loss, the total number of edentulous individuals remains approximately 353 million worldwide, with a particularly high prevalence among older adults (Nascimento et al., 2024). Implant prosthodontics have become a routine treatment in edentulous patients, and implant overdentures (IODs) on two implants have been described as the minimum standard of care when treating patients with edentulous mandibles (Feine et al., 2002). 

However, digital workflows in implant dentistry have brought an unprecedented shift in the way implant prosthodontics, including IODs, are designed, manufactured, and delivered. Considering this fact, the current materials and technologies allow the digital design of IODs as well as the selection of the attachment systems before actual implant placement. In this sense, the perceptions and experiences of edentulous patients who have been rehabilitated using immediate loading protocols with IODs have been reported to be satisfactory and may be considered a viable option in the treatment planning of edentulous individuals (Shrivastava et al., 2023).

While several reviews have addressed digital implant dentistry and removable prosthodontics (Srivastava et al. 2024; Thu et al. 2024; Van de Winkel et al. 2021), most focus on either specific aspects of digital workflows or individual clinical outcomes. Integrated overviews that summarize virtual planning, manufacturing processes, clinical outcomes, and complications of implant overdentures are scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present narrative review is to provide a concise and comprehensive narrative overview of the current state of knowledge in digital removable prosthodontics, with a specific focus on digital workflows, manufacturing strategies, clinical outcomes, and complications related to implant overdentures.